William Haggas was delighted to see Dubai Honour maintain his unbeaten record in Australia with victory in the Tancred Stakes at Rosehill on Tuesday.
The globetrotting seven-year-old landed the Ranvet Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on his previous trip to the Southern Hemisphere two years ago and returned fresh from finishing second to Marco Botti’s Giavellotto in the Hong Kong Vase in December.
Bidding for his fourth Group One success overall, having last summer claimed a first top-level win in Europe in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Dubai Honour quickened up smartly to grab the lead under Tom Marquand and passed the post three-quarters of a length in front.
Former Dermot Weld inmate Duke De Sessa filled the runner-up spot, with Vauban – a high-class performer under both codes for Willie Mullins before moving to Australia – back in third in a meeting held over from the weekend due to rain.
Haggas proudly watched on from his Newmarket base and said: “It was marvellous and he ran brilliantly.
“It was a very competitive race with all the right horses to the fore but he was better than them on the day and he was fantastic.
“He’s remarkably consistent and that’s down to Issy Paul, who treats him like her child. She rides him every day and takes him abroad every time he runs and does a terrific job.”
Dubai Honour will now bid to regain his crown in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on Saturday week, a race Haggas also won twice with the globetrotting Addeybb in 2020 and 2021.
His biggest threat appears to be Chris Waller’s superstar mare Via Sistina, formerly trained in Britain by George Boughey, but Haggas is up for the challenge.
He added: “Absolutely it will be the Queen Elizabeth Stakes next. It’s unfortunate we’ve got a bit less time but he’s a seven-year-old and providing he is okay, he will run again on Saturday week.”
